Active Supervision During Transportation

4.1 Six Strategies for Active Supervision During Transportation

Set Up the Environment

Ensure the temperature inside the vehicle is safe and comfortable, especially during very hot or very cold weather.

Create routines and reminders to help drivers and monitors keep track of who is in the vehicle and ensure everyone exists safely. A standard operating procedure should be to double-check every seat before leaving a parked bus or to make sure there no children left on it. Use an alarm system that activates when the vehicle is turned off so the driver has to walk to the back of the bus or van to deactivate it. Assign an adult the responsibility of double-checking every seat before leaving a parked vehicle to make sure there are no children left behind.

Position Adults

Make sure to maintain the proper adult to child ratio even when transporting children. "More the merrier" is the safest policy for supervising and preventing injuries, loss, or missing children. It is especially true when attending to any emergency that might occur during transportation of children.

Adults should choose a seat that allows them to see and hear all the children and respond when needed. Child care providers, program staff, and approved adults must stay with all the children until an authorized adult picks up each child.

Scan and Count

Use a roster that lists each child's name riding in the vehicle to check attendance. Count the children before entering the vehicle and count them as they exit. Use the roster to call off names and check each child. Be sure to make eye contact with each child before assuming every child is counted. The driver and adult monitors should individually scan the vehicle and check every seat at the end of every trip to make sure no children are still in the vehicle. Whenever possible, someone other than the driver or monitor (e.g., transportation supervisor, program manager, designated family member) should also check the vehicle at the end of every trip. Spot checks are part of a program's ongoing monitoring system and continuous improvement. You should always be able to account for all the children in care.

Listen

All adults, including the driver, should listen to the children and pay attention to sounds that signal the potential for danger.

Anticipate Children's Behavior

If your program uses daily transportation, keep the same routes and routines every day so drivers, monitors, and program staff can build relationships with the children and their families. Knowing each child helps drivers and other adults recognize and respond to changes in behaviors or situations that require adult intervention.

Engage and Redirect

Active and close supervision requires observation and preparation to react quickly if a child needs extra support. It may help to have a monitor sit closer to children who may need extra attention, soothing, refocusing, distraction, or redirection.

During field trips or other off-site activities, staff and approved adults supervising the children must remain vigilant in accounting for the presence and health of the children in their care.

Additional Strategies

Review safety rules and trip expectations with the children in an age-appropriate way. Ensure they know what to do if they are separated accidentally from the group.
Refer to the roster at each transition point during trip (e.g., arriving at the destination, moving to a different area or room, before and after breaks and meal times, preparing to depart the location, etc.). Call each child's name and visually confirm their presence.
If dividing children into smaller groups with different chaperones, coordinate the effort with all supervisors, provide attendance lists, and maintain open lines of communication.
Have a supervision plan for when children need to leave the group for restroom breaks or other reasons. NEVER leave children unattended.
Use the Buddy System - Pair children with a buddy to stay together and look out for one another.
Consider using a method of identifying children in your group using stickers, lanyards, or matching clothing that shows the name of your program and contact information.